The Final Hours of Tomb Raider: Multiplayer Edition

I don't know how everyone else feels about the recently announced multiplayer aspect to the new Tomb Raider game, but I can tell you one thing, Ubisoft are big fans.

In this new, multiplayer-focused, episode of The Final Hours of Tomb Raider, Zachary Levi (Chuck fans, please look away.) takes us inside Ubisoft Montreal and gives us an insider look at the development of Tomb Raider's multiplayer.

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 8, 2013) – While Crystal Dynamics is putting the finishing touches to its re-imagining of Lara Croft® in the new TOMB RAIDER®, a dedicated team at sister studio, Eidos-Montréal, has been working on the game’s first versus multiplayer mode. The mode breaks new ground for the franchise and delivers an experience that has only been made possible through close collaboration between the two SQUARE ENIX studios.

“It’s something we talked about when creating the initial design for TOMB RAIDER, but it was very important that there weren't any distractions from our focus on delivering a great single player experience, so we parked the idea of creating multiplayer at Crystal Dynamics and looked to our sister studio, Eidos-Montréal,” said Darrell Gallagher, head of studio at Crystal Dynamics.

Stephane D’Astous, general manager at Eidos-Montréal added, “It’s been a privilege for the team at Eidos-Montréal to be a part of TOMB RAIDER. We built multiplayer from the ground-up, around the core theme of survival, using some of the key elements of the single player campaign and re-purposing them for a fast and exciting experience. It’s been an amazing project, one we’re immensely proud of and one which we really think gamers will have a lot of fun with.”

Multiplayer in TOMB RAIDER sees the island’s indigenous Scavengers pitted against the crew members from the shipwrecked Endurance. Set in the island’s hostile landscapes, players will use traversal and hunting skills from single player, plus trap-setting, to create fast-paced combat in a selection of versus gaming modes.

Gallagher concluded, “For me, the multiplayer has to fit and has to be fun or no one will play it. We’ve worked hard to make multiplayer fit seamlessly with the single player game and its key themes and we’ve play-tested the hell out of the multiplayer game. It’s working well and gamers are enjoying it. Now we’re all just eager to get TOMB RAIDER into gamers’ hands in March so they can experience the entire game for themselves.”

THE FINAL HOURS OF TOMB RAIDER: MULTIPLAYER EDITION
In the fourth episode of THE FINAL HOURS OF TOMB RAIDER, Zachary Levi goes behind the scenes on one of the most radical additions to the TOMB RAIDER franchise, the addition of Multiplayer.
Levi travels to Montréal to sit and chat with some of the key team members from Crystal Dynamics about the rationale and direction for this new feature, and introduces viewers to the team from Eidos-Montréal.
The team discusses the core focus to ensure they injected attributes from the single player with a multiplayer twist, such as team survival, verticality and the inclusion of environmental threats.

About TOMB RAIDER
The TOMB RAIDER franchise has sold over 35 million copies worldwide and inspired one of the most successful video game film adaptations in history, grossing over $300 million at the global box office with protagonist Lara Croft becoming a contemporary global icon. TOMB RAIDER is in development for a multi-platform release, and is slated to launch March 5, 2013.

About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix Group. The Square Enix Group operates a global network of leading development studios and boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property, including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 59 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.